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Stan & Ollie (2018)
Stan & Ollie (2018)
2018 | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Contains spoilers, click to show
"That's another fine mess you've got me into …"

Drama based around what would become Laurel and hardy's swan-song around the UK in the latter part of their year during the early 1950s, this is impressively cast, with John C Reilly getting the part of Oliver Hardy down pat.

Less successful, perhaps, is Steve Coogan's portrayal of Stan Laurel, maybe solely because the actor is more familiar to me?
  
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Lee (2222 KP) Nov 20, 2019

I really liked this movie but I did also find it difficult to get past Steve Coogan and me thinking of Alan Partridge

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Milla Jovovich recommended Boogie Nights (1997) in Movies (curated)

 
Boogie Nights (1997)
Boogie Nights (1997)
1997 | Comedy, Drama

"That’s one film that just like — when you’re flipping the channels and you’re lucky enough to find that — I don’t care where it starts, the end or the beginning or the middle — I’ll just watch that all the way because all of those characters, all of those actors; it’s like the beginning of so many amazing careers. The dialogue is timeless. That first scene with John C. Reilly, he’s like, “Dig for greed.” It’s so good."

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Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
A strong cast struggle to survive amid the special effects and implausible twists in the latest version of the giant gorilla classic
Critic Review By Wendy Ide - The Guardian
Original Score: 3 out of 5

Excerpt:
...it’s enjoyable enough, if a little overblown. However, despite the quality of actors – Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson star, alongside John C Reilly – the characters are not quite as nuanced as you might hope.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/mar/12/kong-skull-island-review-tom-hiddlestone-unsubtle-adventure
  
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Jake Lacy recommended Boogie Nights (1997) in Movies (curated)

 
Boogie Nights (1997)
Boogie Nights (1997)
1997 | Comedy, Drama

"Anytime somebody’s like, “You want to watch Boogie Nights?” No problem. Carve out the afternoon. I’m ready to go. Again, story, performances, direction, music, era, subject matter — it all works for me on that one. Both as just a simple audience member who wants to check out of life and have a nice time, and also as someone who works in this industry and appreciates as an objective viewer the craftsmanship of that film. I mean, “It’s my big dick and I want to f— now, Jack?” How do you write something better better than that? [laughing] I’m constantly quoting that to friends. But there’s this thing that a friend of mine just showed me on the DVD that’s called the “John C. Reilly Files,” or “Reilly Files.” It’s basically scenes that were not used in the final edit, but are John C. Reilly-based scenes. They are incredible. It’s so cool. So many of them are — maybe my friend who showed it to me, maybe he’s lying — but so many of them are cut scenes during the recording sessions. Things like that, where he’s the ultimate wing man. You know what I mean? He’s repping so hard for Dirk in the recording studio. It’s a bench marker. I would be interested to see what other films came out in 1997. Like what really holds up. Like, Magnolia still holds up for me. Punch Drunk Love still holds up for me. PT Anderson — those movies. I went back and watched There Will be Blood maybe three or four months ago. Just riveting. Those movies don’t get old for me. There’s so much to digest in them."

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Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
Great action sequences John c reilly Samuel L Jackson (0 more)
Dull characters (0 more)
"is that a monkey?"
There are very few things that I respect more than a movie that is unafraid to embrace its own stupidity. Kong: Skull Island has thinly written characters, extreme tonal dissonance, bad dialogue, and a complete and utter disregard for the talents of Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson, but it’s absolutely glorious in its brazen spectacle. Its thin characters and tonal dissonance don’t matter as much because it thoroughly commits to its premise, and it seems like the movie is one ridiculous–but hilarious–visual gag after another. The bad dialogue is all part of the fun. It’s not trying to be something it’s not, and that’s something I appreciate in any movie, especially a nostalgia-laced B-movie blockbuster about a giant ape.

Some might draw connections to the time era explored or the interplay between man and nature, but the movie succeeds at its main goal: entertain the hell out of the audience. Actors like Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson are (pretty) pieces of cardboard in this, but seasoned vets like Samuel L. Jackson and John C. Reilly thoroughly understand what it is they’re being asked to do. They both ham it up big time, with Vogt-Roberts’s visual flourishes adding to their performances in beautiful ways throughout. They both give pitch perfect performances that are 100% appropriate for their roles, and Reilly in particular becomes the heart and soul of the story. As an actor, the best response to a movie like this is to embrace the ridiculous, and Jackson and Reilly certainly do.

However, the ridiculous can sometimes move aside to reveal a visually stunning movie with a large heart. The production design is gorgeous, and the classic shot–a character whose back is turned to us, staring up in awe and fear at Kong–is breathtaking. The movie itself has that type of reaction to its own character, to its own force of nature, looking up in wonder and childish glee as Kong destroys another piece of its surroundings. This is big, bold, and confident filmmaking, precisely because the movie understands what it’s not.
  
Holmes and Watson (2018)
Holmes and Watson (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Comedy, Mystery
Literally nothing (0 more)
Literally everything (0 more)
Utter codswallop
First I have to be honest - for the first time I'm reviewing something that I've not finished watching/playing/reading. However there is a reason for that...I am a massive will Ferrell fan. I love everything he does and especially love the connection he has with John c Reilly. Step brothers and Talladega nights whilst by no means classics thoroughly entertained me. So when I saw they were reuniting again I was excited. So I've never been so disappointed in a film. I managed maybe 45 mins in before I had to give up. Just truly awful. Literally nothing even came close to making me laugh. Lots of poor knob gags and 'funny' accents. Just utterly dreadful - avoid!!!
  
Dark Water (2005)
Dark Water (2005)
2005 | Horror, Mystery
Dripping Nightmares
Dark Water- is a good movie. Note I havent seen the oringal movie. I have only seen the remake which this is. Jennifer Connelly does a excellent job in this film.

The Plot: Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly) wants to move away from her ex-husband, Kyle (Dougray Scott), and take her daughter, Ceci (Ariel Gade), with her. Relocating to a dreary tower block, Dahlia and Ceci discover eerie, dark water leaking through the ceiling of their new apartment. Dahlia petitions the supervisor (Pete Postlethwaite) and the building's owner (John C. Reilly) to fix the leak, yet it only gets worse. Now having nightmares about the dripping, Dahlia is
driven to confront the problem herself.

Like i said ive not seen the oringal only this adaptation. Its still a good movie.
  
Life After Beth (2014)
Life After Beth (2014)
2014 | Comedy
8
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Life After Beth is a take on an overcooked trope that actually finds a way to convince you to invest in the characters and story. A difficult task indeed.

Full disclosure, as a rule, I hate zombie movies. I think most of them are just awful, overdone hack jobs (no pun intended.)

There are, as with anything, some exceptions. This is one of them. The focus is never inherently on that element at all. The focus remains firmly on the character development throughout. The makers actually found a way to make the entire premise interesting, even though the base has been told a million times, usually poorly.

Love Aubrey Plaza. Love John C. Reilly. That was enough to convince me to give it a chance, and I'm actually thankful that I did. Perhaps there is hope for this burnt out genre after all.
  
Holmes and Watson (2018)
Holmes and Watson (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Comedy, Mystery
They can't all be winners
Well...they can't all be winners.

I know that Will Ferrell is an "acquired taste" - either you like the "all in" comedy of this man, or you don't. I happen to like Ferrell, his comedy has aged on me like a fine wine. I find that some of his most recent films like THE OTHER GUYS and THE HOUSE are very funny (maybe not as funny as ANCHORMAN...but what is). I think this comedian still has his fastball.

But, sometimes, wine doesn't age well, it turns into vinegar. And for Ferrell, this vinegar is the comedic dud that is HOLMES & WATSON.

Partnering with familiar on-screen partner John C. Reilly (who paired with Ferrell in films like STEP BROTHERS and TALLEDEGA NIGHTS) this film is a parody of the multitude of Sherlock Holmes films - this time showing that not only is Holmes and idiot but so is Watson. But, somehow, they manage to solve the crime and save the day anyway.

Ferrell is (typically) over-the-top and obtuse as Holmes. Usually, this combination works for him (see ANCHORMAN) but it just falls flat here. Same thing for John C. Reilly's Watson - he is just as over-the-top and obtuse and (I think) that's the beginning of the problem here. The two just bounce off each other without the joke landing on either of them - nor does it land of the audience.

Ralph Fiennes (Moriarty), Rebecca Hall (potential girlfriend), Rob Brydon (Inspector Lestrade) and Kelly Macdonald (Mrs. Hudson) all fair poorly with poor material to work with.

Writer/Director Etan (that's Etan, not Ethan) Cohen (IDIOCRACY) does nothing to help things here with either his writing or his direction. My only thought here is that he thought that Ferrell and Reilly could improvise themselves into a good film.

It didn't happen.

Letter Grade: C (because I guffawed out loud - despite myself - a couple of times)

4 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
2017 | Action, Sci-Fi
Considering no-one has managed to make an entirely satisfactory King Kong movie since the early 1930s, and also bearing in mind that the same company's Godzilla movie left a bit to be desired, my expectations for this one were low, to put it mildly. Government survey team, aided by semi-unhinged Vietnam veterans (the setting is the 1970s), fly off to unexplored tropical island and discover all manner of weird wildlife awaiting them, including the greatest of great apes.

Truth be told, ostensible stars Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson feel a bit surplus to requirements (Sam Jackson, John Goodman and John C Reilly chew the scenery quite satisfactorily), but in all other respects this is a hugely enjoyable pulp monster movie that isn't afraid to relax and have some fun. It does feel a bit odd to do a Kong movie entirely set on the island, but the story hangs together well, there are some interesting creatures, and the set-up for the next Godzilla movie is well handled. Doing a monster movie in the style of a Vietnam film is also an inspired touch. Raises the bar for the rest of the films in this series; highly entertaining stuff.